Just in time for the building’s 100th birthday, a new restaurant will be opening at Fisherman’s Wharf on San Carlos Island and almost directly underneath Matanzas Pass Bridge.
Bonita Fish Co., known over the previous 30 years as Bonita Bill’s, opens Nov. 3 following about 10 months of renovations.
The restaurant also was shut down for a few months after Hurricane Ian sent storm surge — and a since-removed boat — into the restaurant Sept. 28, 2022.
“This menu is completely different,” said Joe Harrity, managing partner of HM Restaurant Group, which bought the land for $5.5 million. The property is next to the group’s two other restaurants, Dixie Fish Co. and Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille. “There’s not a single thing at Dixie or Doc Ford’s that’s going to be on this menu.”
Joe Harrity, managing partner of HM Restaurant Group, said Bonita Fish Co. features a completely new menu from the group’s other restaurants.
David Dorsey
Harrity and Executive Chef Chas Tatigian showcased a sampling of the menu at a media event, where they had a spread of jumbo Gulf shrimp, smoked corned beef brisket, shrimp and corn fritters, coconut cheesecake and homemade cinnamon rolls, which will be on the Friday through Sunday brunch menu.
“I’m going to recommend the smoked mullet,” Harrity said. “That’s one thing going back to the nostalgia of Old Florida. Mullet was a household thing back in the ’60s and ’70s. I think it’s cool to be able to bring that back and put our spin on that.”
But the showpiece will be bayfront dining and Bayside Private Events, which can be used for either overflow restaurant customers or can be rented for special events, such as weddings and birthday parties. It can handle groups of up to 120 people.
Although the restaurant is poised to open, construction isn’t quite finished. The company is awaiting permits to build a 30- to 35-slip marina. The docks will be extended from two points along the existing deck. One will be built where a planter has been placed for now. The other will extend from the edge of the events building’s deck.
The new Bonita Fish Co. occupies the century-old building at Fisherman’s Wharf that previously housed Bonita Bill’s.
David Dorsey
The marina will accommodate boats up to 90 feet long.
Serving food in a century-old building means the most, Harrity said.
“There’s not a whole lot of that around anymore,” he said. “The fact that we’re able to preserve that and add our spin to it is really important to us. I think people are going to love it.”
Bonita Fish Co. offers open-air waterfront dining and a full bar beneath Matanzas Pass Bridge on San Carlos Island.
HM Restaurant Group
The restaurant group also recently rebranded its hot sauces to “Gloria’s,” named for a cat that lives at Doc Ford’s. Gloria disappeared for about six months after Hurricane Ian but has since returned to her spot at the restaurant.
Bonita Fish Co. will serve lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.
Brunch hours will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, with drinks including the Bonita Mary with smoky honey-habanero rim, the Mimosa of the Day with fresh-squeezed juice and a salted caramel espresso martini.
Other menu highlights include fried grouper sandwiches, shrimp torpedoes, the BFC hot chicken sandwich, oysters, chowder, peel-and-eat shrimp and house-made cocktail sauce.
Bonita Fish Co.’s new menu highlights Gulf-caught seafood and coastal favorites, including fried grouper sandwiches, shrimp torpedoes and house-made desserts.
HM Restaurant Group
Tatigian has 35 years of experience. A native of Montreal, he has worked with HM Restaurant Group for eight years and said he was thrilled to build a menu from scratch. The son of a chef, Tatigian said his father had him cooking hot dogs at age 5.
“We still have grouper, but we have different ways of preparation,” Tatigian said. “Everyone put their input together to make this one different.”
General Manager Krystian Martinez will lead about 70 to 80 employees following nine years working at the Doc Ford’s on Sanibel Island.
“It’s amazing,” Martinez said of the new restaurant’s look. “The place looks absolutely beautiful. A lot of things are very unique for this location.”